Former Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan on Wednesday welcomed the government’s decision to suspend rice importation starting September 1 but stressed the urgent need for immediate assistance to farmers already suffering from low palay prices.

“Salamat po at dininig ng administrasyon ang hinaing at hiling ng ating mga magpapalay na suspindihin ang importasyon ng bigas ngayong anihan,” Pangilinan said in a statement.

However, with the suspension taking effect next month, Pangilinan called for swift government intervention to support farmers currently being forced to sell their palay for as low as ₱5 to ₱9 per kilo—far below production cost.

“Dahil sa Setyembre pa po magiging effective ang rice import suspension, hinihiling din po natin ang agarang tulong sa mga magpapalay na luging-lugi na,” he said.

He urged the national and local governments to fully implement the Sagip Saka Law, which enables them to directly purchase agricultural products from farmers for their food-related needs.

“Puspusan po sana nating ipatupad ang Sagip Saka Law… para direkta nang bumili sa mga magpapalay,” he said. “Kagyat po itong krisis na kinakaharap ng ating mga magsasaka. Kaya kagyat din po sana ang turing sa problemang ito.”

Pangilinan noted that billions of pesos are already allocated in the 2025 national budget for food procurement, which can be tapped to provide income to rice farmers, hog raisers, fisherfolk, and vegetable growers.

He cited various programs that could source food directly from farmers, including:

• ₱1 billion under the Department of Health’s Family Health, Immunization, Nutrition, and Responsible Parenting program
• ₱5.2 billion under the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s Supplementary Feeding Program
• ₱1.9 billion under the DSWD’s Food Stamp Program

“Wala pa riyan ang ating mga LGU. Kung sabay-sabay at tulong-tulong at agad-agad nating gagawin ito, makakaraos ang ating abang mga nagpapakain sa bayan,” Pangilinan said.